Intro

I found this photo album in a thrift shop in Laos that sells Japanese second-hand goods. It appears to be the personal album of a Japanese-American family (likely the Nagashi or Murota family) living in Utah and California between 1925 and 1936.

The photos capture an incredible blend of major American history—including the construction of the Hoover Dam and Charles Lindbergh’s tour—alongside the intimate daily life of their community in Delta and Beryl, Utah. The fact that I found these American photos in Laos suggests the album likely traveled back to Japan at some point before being sold into the second-hand market here. I am deeply intrigued by how this album ended up so far from Utah, and my ultimate goal is to find the descendants of this family and return these photos to them.

I have scanned the entire album, but I haven't begun the formal search for the individuals yet. I would love the community's help with the following:

  1. Translation: There are several captions in Japanese that I cannot read.
  2. Transcription: Some English text is faded or difficult to decipher.
  3. Leads: If anyone has experience with Japanese-American genealogy or records from the Delta/Beryl, Utah area during the 1920s-30s, I would appreciate any pointers on where to start looking for the Nagashi or Murota families.

I’ve uploaded the scans here. Let’s see if we can get these memories back to where they belong!

Info:

Rank Names Appearances in photos (Approx.) Notes
1 Akiko Nagashi 8 Often mentioned in postcards and as the subject of photos.
2 Murota Chieko 4 Frequently noted with specific birth dates and ages.
3 Letha McCollough 4 A frequent friend/neighbor appearing in 1930–1931 photos.
4 Florence Nagashi 2+ Identified as the owner; also mentioned in school clubs.
5 Mr. Nagashi 2 Likely the father/patriarch of the family.
6 Murota Kazu 2 Identified as an elder relative (grandmother/sister).

Other recurring family/group names:

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